Mattel has released a line of "kid friendly" Batman figures under the umbrella title "Power Attack", which comprises 3 sets of 4 figures each (so far), themed around various "missions". Battle Gauntlet Batman is part of the Arctic Mission series. He's the most "classic" version of Batman to me, wearing his black and grey outfit, with yellow belt and bat symbol outines, so I couldn't resist picking him up, along with Killer Croc and Robin. I'll be skipping most of the other "neon outfitted" Batmen from the line, but the villains (Mr. Freeze and Two Face are pictured on the card backs so far) are definitely on my wish list.
Batman comes in at an even 6" tall. His cape is cloth, attached pretty securely to his back, and he comes with a soft rubberized yellow batarang. The batarang is too big for the figure, and he topples over with it in his hand. It does fit my six-year-old son pretty well, however. I can imagine him chucking it around the house fairly gleefully in the not to distant future.
THE BEST PART of this figure, for me at least, is the sculpt. Despite having an "animated" feel to him, Batman has some great details and especially deep cut lines. The muscles are angular everything fits together well, in terms of the look, despite the odd proportions. What odd proportions? Well, Batman's feet and hands are enormous, which in and of itself isn't too unusual. The oddest part(s) for me, are his legs. The thighs are thin (but really muscular), while his calves are thicker around. His knees are tiny, while the boots are huge!
How huge? Well, the distance from his knees to his feet is greater than that of his entire torso, from waist to bat ears tips, with some extra thrown in on top. Yes, it's meant to be an exaggerated look, and it sure is. Nevertheless, it took me a while to get used to it. Now, I can say I like it- this Batman looks great on the shelf.
Batman sports a very angular face, as well. His chin is sharp, and he looks like he's sucking in his cheeks (think "Zoolander" model pose), and he's got shorter ears than Arkham Asylum Batman.
THE WORST PART of Battle Gauntlet Batman would have to be the articulation: 8 points, nearly all useless. Cut joints at the shoulders and waist, T hips, single pin elbows and a head that wants to be a ball but mostly acts like a cut. There's a tiny bit of tilt you can get, just enough to stop him from staring at the ground, but that's about it.
It's a little less than we got from The Batman cartoon Batman (even that one had pin knees) a decade ago. I haven't bothered getting any of the Brave and the Bold figures, so I don't know how they compare. No wrists, no ankles, no knees. In other words, you'll need to like a vanilla pose to find this figure appealing. The heroes in this line are also sculpted to have their biceps tilted inward (both he and Robin have this trait), so bending their elbows brings their hands up in front of their chests.
Batman has got some other faults, as well, though the lack of articulation is the most glaring. His belt is way too thick. Not only that, but the way it's made has it tilted on most of the figures I checked out on the pegs. The paint can get sloppy in places: the boot tops run onto the calves, and the cowl bottom can be misaligned , so check carefully if you care.
I also noticed that this version of Batman is missing his scivvies: he's grey through and through.
This may sound redundant, but Battle Gauntlet Batman is a good figure if you like what you are getting. He's a mass market Batman who will look good on a shelf, and will stand up to some rough play by the kiddies. He won't do the job for dynamic posing, or for accessories, but at $9, I'm really happy with him. With this line, the figures I like, I tend to really really like, while the others I have no trouble leaving behind. Batman and Robin look awesome together, and beside Killer Croc. I can't wait to add Mr. Freeze and Two Face to their shelf. I've been debating the Batmobile, as well, but it hasn't completely won me over to its $20 price tag yet. Yet...
Batman sports a very angular face, as well. His chin is sharp, and he looks like he's sucking in his cheeks (think "Zoolander" model pose), and he's got shorter ears than Arkham Asylum Batman.
THE WORST PART of Battle Gauntlet Batman would have to be the articulation: 8 points, nearly all useless. Cut joints at the shoulders and waist, T hips, single pin elbows and a head that wants to be a ball but mostly acts like a cut. There's a tiny bit of tilt you can get, just enough to stop him from staring at the ground, but that's about it.
It's a little less than we got from The Batman cartoon Batman (even that one had pin knees) a decade ago. I haven't bothered getting any of the Brave and the Bold figures, so I don't know how they compare. No wrists, no ankles, no knees. In other words, you'll need to like a vanilla pose to find this figure appealing. The heroes in this line are also sculpted to have their biceps tilted inward (both he and Robin have this trait), so bending their elbows brings their hands up in front of their chests.
Batman has got some other faults, as well, though the lack of articulation is the most glaring. His belt is way too thick. Not only that, but the way it's made has it tilted on most of the figures I checked out on the pegs. The paint can get sloppy in places: the boot tops run onto the calves, and the cowl bottom can be misaligned , so check carefully if you care.
I also noticed that this version of Batman is missing his scivvies: he's grey through and through.
This may sound redundant, but Battle Gauntlet Batman is a good figure if you like what you are getting. He's a mass market Batman who will look good on a shelf, and will stand up to some rough play by the kiddies. He won't do the job for dynamic posing, or for accessories, but at $9, I'm really happy with him. With this line, the figures I like, I tend to really really like, while the others I have no trouble leaving behind. Batman and Robin look awesome together, and beside Killer Croc. I can't wait to add Mr. Freeze and Two Face to their shelf. I've been debating the Batmobile, as well, but it hasn't completely won me over to its $20 price tag yet. Yet...
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